The Only Way Is Me And You
by pronetflixjunkie
Summary: Beth is the light that shines and leads the way for Daryl. Daryl is her idol and protector. Ever since the prison the two have been together, surviving...alone.
1. Together

She was the flame at the end of the tunnel. Her golden hair lit up a pathway for his sorrow and pain. She never failed to make his day just a tad better, wether she sang a song or whispered little faith getters to herself. The petite blonde kept the man sane. Of course there were days where she got on his nerves when she tried to shove her 'words of wisdom' down his throat, but through it all, he appreciated the young girls hope. Especially now, after the prison, Hershall, Maggie.

She kept her head up. Of course what Daryl didn't know, was all of those things really were tearing Beth away from the inside out. She forced a smile on her face every time she looked at him because she knew that she had to be strong. Beth was a fighter and she wasn't going to let the emotional pain take over her skills. She survived and they didn't. That was that and now she had to keep going and not give up, for them.

To help hide her emotions, she often waited until Daryl was snoring away at night. She would then let it out. She found that talking to her father as if he was listening was therapeutic. This most likely led to crying herself to sleep and a sense of relief in the morning.

Things only got better after the moonshine shack. That had really helped her and Daryl. Being able to to explain that she was still here and not just another dead girl who's timer is running out. Holding Daryl as he wept, honestly, made her feel strong and powerful. She had made the single most difficult, sheltered man let his emotions free.

Beth had that affect on Daryl. He admired her braveness and her increasing maturity, yet he adored the remaining child that lived within the young woman. She was, after all, about 19 now.

No one could burn the flame in the dark tunnel out. Neither of the two would let that happen. Daryl was going to protect Beth and she was determined to help him.

/

The duo silently crept through the woods, making their way to their new 'campsite.' It was a colder night so Daryl had went out to find sticks to build as big a fire as they could afford to have before it was too noticeable. Being the independent, quite stubborn girl she was, Beth just had to go with Daryl. She needed practice. Daryl didn't protest, he just went a long with it and didn't say a word.

It wasn't hard to find good sticks that weren't damp from the rain shower earlier. Daryl knew exactly where to look; under trees. Once they had found the sticks they were back where they had came from.

"You get the sleeping arrangements set up I'll get the Fire goin'." Daryl began rubbing twigs and rocks together to create a spark as Beth laid out the tattered blankets they had found not too long ago.

Beth pulled out a thin sheet and began attaching it to the staggering bark In between two trees to act as a tent. She then sat herself down on her blanket and watched as Daryl roasted a can of beans above the small fire. His deep blue eyes glittered as the fire reflected golden ashes in his eyes. Out of no where Beth heard something strange. Very strange. She almost jumped when her ears caught notice of this sound.

It wasn't the sound of crunching leaves from a nearby walker or distant human whispers. No. It was her song. The one she had been writing and practicing. But she wasn't singing it.

"Daryl? Are you...hummin'?" Beth chuckled. Daryl's head shot up, breaking his focus from the frying food. He must've been doing it unconsciously because he was very shocked when he was asked that.

"What?"

"It's unclear now what we intend, were alone in our own world." Beth began to sing her song, showing him she knew what he was humming.

"I wasn't hummin' girl." Daryl huffed as he stood to bring Beth the beans.

"Okay." Beth elongated her word too show the sarcasm in her voice. Daryl rolled his eyes as he settled into his spot near Beth. There was a minute of pure silence. The only things that could be heard was the rustling of the leaves as the cool breeze hit them. The crackle and pop of the small lit fire. Even the soft breathing of the two survivors. It was oddly...peaceful and calming.

This thought scared Beth. She was so used to the new world now that peace frightened her. She feared it more then walkers. Every time she had ever felt like there was peace during the apocalypse something bad had happened. No not bad, disastrous. Beth couldn't help but shake this feeling from her mind.

"Daryl?" The blonde broke the silence. Daryl didn't respond, he just looked at her as she stared blankly at her palms. "I- I'm scared that this is the life I have accepted to live." The once playful environment was now gone.

"What ya mean?" Daryl was confused on what she meant.

"I mean...well. Thinking about what life was like before sends chills down my spine. I get this gross feeling that makes me despise that life style. I think I'm so used to all the pain and loss that there's no point in fighting for that kind of life anymore." Beth peeled her eyes away from her palms and met Daryl's. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't want there to be anymore changes. I-I want it to stay the way it is now." Beth's voice cracked when she said this. It was hard for her to understand that that's what she wanted but it was and she couldn't believe she had said that out loud.

The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Then Daryl cleared his throat, "Well, I'm used to this. My life ain't never been no different. I don't need to cope or nothin'." Daryl hesitated to say what he wanted to say next. "If ya ever feel...uncomfortable. You got me. And only me. I'm here ya know." This was the first time Daryl had opened himself up to help by speaking. He disliked it as much as he disliked his father. But this...this was Beth.

Her crystal blue eyes widened when Daryl said this. She just couldn't comprehend. Not only was Daryl speaking to her more, he was willing to speak to her about personal things. Beth didn't know how to react to this, she just kind of stared.

"Never mind." Daryl sensed the awkwardness after presenting his offer.

"No, no. I'll take you up on it." A soft smile curled at the corners on the doll like face of Beth.

"Nah." Daryl picked up rocks and tossed them into the fire to avoid eye contact with Beth.

"Daryl. Don't mumble." Beth leaned over and nudged the man in the shoulder. What she didn't expect was his response. A small laugh escaped from Daryl. Beth couldn't help but smile at this. Daryl may be the only person she will ever have contact with for the rest of her life and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him be a jerk to her 24/7. This was good, progress.

A slight blush flowed through the her porcelain skin. A feeling of warmth spread around her chest.

"Maybe sm'other time." Daryl finally responded. And with that Daryl was laying down, one arm over his eyes and the other cradling his neck.

"Night Dixon." Beth curled into a ball and faced away from the man.

"Night Greene."

/

It was the first night Beth hadn't fallen asleep to the sound of her own sniffling and salty tears. In fact, it was the first night that she didn't have to force herself to sleep in a while. Beth was so regularly tired that it wasn't hard for her to drift off but she had always kept one eye open in case of any threats. This called for an uneasy and rough sleep. There was no doubt that rest was a hard thing to come by. Catching up with hours of lost sleep never seemed to happen. You just had to suffer through the exhaustion and keep your mind on something else.

But this was different, easy almost. Although, things are always too go to be true. About half way through the night the cold decided to visit Beth and continuously nip at her exposed limbs until she couldn't bare it anymore.

The girl slowly sat up, trying not to make too much noise. She knew Daryl didn't get much sleep either, always keeping watch and kept awake by his own thoughts. But he looked comfortable and she didn't want to risk waking him.

Her pack was right behind her, she had used it as a pillow. However, every move she made, leaves would crunch under her body and the zipper and shuffling of material always made too much noise. The fire had gone out probably an hour or so ago. Beth quickly looked around her in hope of maybe some kind of warming item that was accidentally left out by her or Daryl. But the girl was in no luck.

The blonde peered over to where Daryl was laying. He remained in the same position he had fell asleep in, his chest rising and falling with every breath. Beth's teeth began to clatter together as a breeze brushed by. Goosebumps covered her bare arms and she wondered why Daryl wasn't as freezing as her.

As she sat, focusing on the cold, she heard the man begin to shiver. Finally the girl made the decision that she would most likely regret in the morning. Beth quietly scooted over to where Daryl lay and rest her head on his chest. Her arm laid across his abdomen as she absorbed his warmth and tried to share hers with him. Without warning the mans hand wrapped around the girls shoulder and pulled her in closer to his body. With this notion of assurance, Beth nestled her face into his shirt and closed her eyes.

/

Morning came faster then expected but the two didn't care. In fact, they were grateful for the warmth of the sun on their faces. Daryl was the first to wake up. He didn't expect to find a sleeping beauty twined within him. He lifted his head up with force, finding that his neck had gone stiff.

"Hey. Wake up." He gently shook Beth until she opened her doe eyes. Beth lifted her chin and met Daryl's eyes. She dug her face back into his chest and moaned not wanting to get up. Daryl huffed and sat up with the girl still wrapped around him. "Beth." He spoke a little louder. After a good ten minutes of battling and moans of 'no' and 'just a sec', Beth released her grip from the man.

Once he was free, Daryl stood up and began packing up the stuff. Beth just flopped back down on her blanket.

"Let's go, girl." Daryl swung his crossbow around his back and stared as the young blonde struggled to stand to her feet. She draped her backpack over one shoulder and moped slowly behind him. Her eyes were heavy and dark circles engulfed her eye sockets. Beth's facial expression really spoke how tired she was and how much she wanted to just stop walking and lay down right where she was.

Daryl didn't say a single word to Beth for about three hours. They tracked and searched for a place to stay but there was no communication between them what so ever.

"I spy with my little eye...somethin' red." Beth said trudging behind Daryl. He just grunted in response and didn't even glance back. "Ok...I'm thinkin' of somethin' big and sharp and shiny." Beth tried again. She achieved a quick glance but nothing more.

Beth stopped in the middle of her steps and bent down to grab a small rock. "You're such a bum." She chucked the rock at Daryl's back. Daryl bit back a smile but still, no response. "Ugggghhhh." Beth let out an exasperated sigh. She didn't want to walk in silence any longer. "Daryl Dixon, you listen to me and you listen well. I want to play a game and you will play. No if ands or buts." Beth naively stomped her foot.

Soon enough Daryl turned around and opened his mouth to refuse-

"Ah ah ah." Beth put up her finger when he tried to disagree.

"Fine." Daryl growled. Beth's grin grew wider, almost touching her ears.

/

"Would you rather...eat snake for the rest of your life or eat squirrel?"

Daryl scowled at this question knowing in the back of his mind that Beth knew the answer. She just wanted to hear him admit it.

"Snake." He said under his breath

Beth chuckled and stuck her tongue out gesturing her disgust. "Your turn."

"What?"

"It's your turn."

"Oh." Daryl never did things like this. He wasn't much of a so called 'fun' type person. "What do I say?" The man grunted as he walk ahead of Beth.

"Just ask me the same question."

"Snake or rabbit?" Daryl glanced back at the blonde clearly confused.

"No, would you rather."

"K. Would you rather..." He took a minute to try and think something up. "Ride a horse or drive a car?"

"Car."

"What?"

"I would rather drive a car." Beth said with confidence. "I was never taught how and I think it would be fun."

"But didn't you have a shit ton of ponies at the farm or somethin'?"

"Yeah but I've never really driven a car and-"

Beth was interrupted by a slight rustle of leaves. "Shhh." Daryl quickly stood in front of Beth, spreading his shoulders wide like a bird protecting its eggs. He pointed his crossbow to where the noise had come from and took a step forward, motioning Beth should quietly follow along. The two snuck around a few bushes to where the sound originated from. A few more rustles and put popped a little button tail rabbit.

"It's just a rodent." Sighed Daryl with relief, aiming his arrow down and swinging it back over his shoulder.

"Well then where was I..." Beth trotted ahead without looking back. "Oh yes. The car and the horse." She quickly spun around to see Daryl and began walking backwards. Daryl tried to resist the small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. But he noticed something strange about this scene. Things were too quiet. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw a decaying hand curve around a tree where Beth was heading.

"Beth! Duck!" Daryl snatched his crossbow and shot at the walkers head, landing an arrow right in between its eyes. "Pay attention where your going girl." Daryl said harshly as he yanked the arrow out of the dead walkers skull, blood spurting everywhere.

Daryl stomped passed the naive girl, clearly not feeling the innocence and oblivious nature today. He cursed to himself as he ran the previous event through his head over and over again. What if he hadn't seen the walker? If Beth would've got bitten? She would have died and he would be alone. How stupid could she be? Risking their survival for a stupid game of would you-

Daryl made his way through a big group of trees and stumbled upon a hoard of walkers. He remained still, hoping they wouldn't notice him. He looked over his shoulder and realized he was quite aways from Beth. He slowly backed up and threw his back up on a tree. He prepped his weapon and waited for the group to pass.

"Daryl...I-I'm sorry that-" Beth began to speak, focused on her feet, as she approached the man but was quickly silenced by his muscular hand over her mouth. He pulled her into his chest so she was hidden too. But it was too late. He could hear the groans from the hoard getting closer. They must've been attracted to Beth's talking.

'Not again girl.' Daryl thought. He pulled the now very startled and confused Beth from his chest and looked her in the eyes. "When I say run, you run." His whisper traveled through the win. Daryl loosened his grip on the blonde and stepped to the side to peak at what they were up against.

It wasn't much...if they were with their group. But they weren't. It was just Beth and Daryl and an occasional snake. They were easily out numbered and there was no point in hiding any longer because the walkers had already picked up their scent. Daryl moved back to back with the tree and signaled to Beth that on the count of three they would run. Three. Two.

"Run!" Daryl shouted and the duo took off in the opposite direction of the hoard. The walkers picked up pace and their growls grew louder. More and more began to follow. Beth ran as fast as her tiny body could, making sure not to trip on any free roots or rocks. Daryl jumped over logs and squatted under low tree branches. They began to get closer to the road as Daryl noticed the amount of trees thinning.

"Ahhhhh!" A piercing scream rang through Daryl's ears. His eyes jolted to Beth, worried what he might see. A walker had grabbed hold of the end of her pony tail and as tugging her away. Beth tried to free herself by yanking at her hair but the walker wasn't letting Beth go easy. The rotting corpse opened its jaw as it pulled Beth in closer by her yellow locks. Daryl pulled out his knife and began chopping away at the walkers hand. He striked three times and soon enough the walkers hand fell to the ground. The minute Beth felt the tension in her hair release, she bolted and ran faster then she thought she could.

They pushed through trees and bushes, slicing their skin in the process. Running was hard and tiring but soon enough they came upon an open road.

"There!" Daryl pointed, maintaining his speed. A small shadow formed a house like figure in the background. Beth sprinted as fast as she could catching up to Daryl. The poor girl was so fragile and weak she could barely keep herself up.


	2. Birds

Upon entering the tarnished house, Beth noticed that the door had been broken open. Daryl hurried to the front and pushed through so that the opening was wider. He then knocked on the side to see if there were any walkers inside. Nothing seemed to come up so he shoved Beth inside and closed the door quickly behind him.

It was broken open like Beth had noted so it didn't lock quite right. "Upstairs." Daryl didn't need to say anymore for Beth to get the hint. They were both bleeding and the groans were getting louder hence the walkers that were following them. They needed to patch their wounds and hide. Hide until they could no long hear the dreadful banging of the dead at night.

The petite girl made her wade up the rickety stairs and into the first room she saw. Even though Daryl had done his signature "knock-and-wait" routine to check for walkers, Beth was still cautious. She braced herself for anything, clutching her knife tight in her hand. Luckily it was all clear, just as she had thought.

The room was a disaster. There was a bed and a dresser that was all. The sheets on the bed were covered with what seemed to be dried blood and other then the components on the floor, the dresser was cleared out. Beth walked toward the closet that was also empty (no surprise there).

As she tried to open the door to the closet without making a sound she ended up hearing a crunch. A crunch from under her. The blonde looked down at broken glass. She picked up the piece she had just totaled and shook off all the loose shard of glass. It was a picture frame and inside held a family portrait. She studied the family and the way they held themselves. There was an older man and woman accompanied by a young brunette woman holding a baby. Next to her was a teenage boy who looked as if he would rather die than be there, but he still maintained a semi smile, probably to keep his parents happy. They all showed their teeth, representing their cheerfulness. The family sat in a beautiful backyard with wonderful flowers and a tire swing. Beth walked over to the window and stared at what was left of the beautiful scenery. Nothing. At all. How tragic. Everything that family lived for was gone. It was all torn apart and there was nothing they could do about. They were most likely dead themselves.

Beth heard a small drop and looked back down to the picture where a clear, wet figure moved down the frame. Beth furiously wiped at her eyes. Why was she crying over a family she didn't even know? She should be crying over her own family. Her mom, Shawn, her dad, Maggie. They were all gone. She didn't even know if Maggie was alive anymore. Then again, she didn't know if anyone was alive. For all she knew it could just be her and Daryl. Or maybe they were alive.

It was then Beth realized she wasn't crying over the family in the picture, however sad their story was, she was crying for hers.

For what her family used to be. They were like this one. Happy, a beautiful home, capturing the moment. And now they were gone, just like her own memories. All she had left of them was this picture to resemble her past life and what it used to be. What it never will be again. More salty tears ran down her dirty cheeks, making the path they went down clear on her face. She huffed and went back to staring at the picture.

"Hey." Beth jumped and quickly spun around. A warm hand rested on her shoulder. "In here." Daryl gestured to the closet in which both crawled into. Beth slipped the picture into her backpack and rested her head on the wall.

"Is the door stable?" Beth's voice was soft and choppy.

"As close as I could get it." Daryl unwrapped his pack from his shoulders and laid it in front of his feet. He winced in pain as he reached forward to place his knife into his pack. Beth caught a glimpse of a bloody gash on Daryl's right bicep.

"Here," She dug through her back pack and managed to muster up a torn piece of cloth. "Tree?" She asked, beginning to dab at the wound.

"Guess so. Ahh." Daryl bit his lip as Beth tightly wrapped the cloth around it to serve as some kind of tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Daryl looked down at Beth trying her hardest to wrap it right. She licked her lips in concentration. "Hey, you're bleedin' too." Daryl flicked his head and nodded towards hers.

Beth had a small cut above her eyebrow and maybe a few here and there, but nothing terrible. She brushed her fingers against the wet area and then examined the Crimson liquid on her hands.

"Want me to get it?" Daryl took his own piece of cloth from his pack and held it out to Beth. She just sat and nodded as he tended to her wound now. "What about your other ones?" He pointed to the scratches that covered her arms. She hadn't even noticed those were there.

"No I think I'm good, thanks." Daryl just silently agreed and leaned back against the wall.

"What's down there?" Beth finally broke the silence that filled the air.

"Nothing...'cept them damn walkers tryna' get in." Beth's eyes widened. "Don't worry, I locked it up good." Daryl reassured the worried girl that sat across from him.

"Well if there's nothing there, why do we have to stay in the closet?"

"We can never be too safe. Besides, it's just for tonight."

"Well this ain't comfortable." Beth complained. She really wasn't and the idea of having to stay in the same position all night, while there was a bed right outside this darned closet, annoyed her. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot.

"Why is that?" Daryl cocked an eyebrow. He was used to this. He never really had the luxury of sleeping in an actual bed. The majority of his slumbers were spent on the floor of Merle's room or on the springy mattress in their garage.

"I need to stretch my legs and rest my head." And there was that whiney, teenage girl that seeped through every now and then. Every incident that that happened Daryl had tried a new strategy to make her stop. Of course, they all failed, so finally Daryl learned to just comply with the girls needs to shut her up.

The man considered the following; he could risk the night and set up a bed outside the closet, he could just ignore it and hope that her complaining would go away, or he could try to make her as comfortable as possible in the tight space.

"K. Come here." He opened his hands and motioned the blonde towards him.

"Excuse me?" Beth sassily questioned.

"You want to be comfy? Then come here. We'll work it out." Daryl scooted himself around to a position in which Beth could move and make herself 'at home'. The girl uneasily moved in between Daryl's legs and stretched hers out. Beth laid her head against his chest and sank down into a more relaxed state. Daryl could feel her tense muscles release into his body.

She was stationed right in between Daryl's...well, everything. He couldn't figure out where to put his hands though, so he let them fall to his side. After a good two minutes he realized his strange that felt so he hovered them above the now sleeping blonde. Daryl hesitated to place them on Beth's, for she hers rested on the exact spot Daryl was used to putting his hands. Finally, the brunette made the decision to awkwardly wrap them around Beth.

He felt the girl stiffen and then slowly let out. She didn't move or talk or anything. She just embraced the warmth of Daryl and slept. Daryl watched as the girl breathed deeply and soon drifted off himself. Not to be bothered by anything or anyone.

/

"Birds." Beth violently shook Daryl's shoulders. "Daryl." He didn't budge. The girl shook harder resulting in the man's eyes fluttering open in a panic.

"What?" He sat up with caution.

"Birds!" The girl yelled excitedly, trying her hardest to yank the aging man to his feet.

"Quiet down, girl." Daryl growled, pushing himself to his tired feet. Once he was up and going, Beth tugged him towards the window. She turned to Daryl and gave a toothy grin, then faced back to the open landscape.

"Listen." She whispered, sticking her head out the window. Her thick blonde pony dangled over the ledge, giving her an almost Rapunzel-like appearance. She already had the looks of a princess, all she needed now was a prince and a happy ending.

Daryl watched the girl in wonder while he tried to figure out what on earth she was doing. He copied her movements by pushing his head through the window and listened closely. He was astonished to hear the sweet sound of a morning bird's song. It whistled a cheerful tune that would brighten up any day. After listening to a few verses, Daryl pulled his head back inside.

Even though Daryl had finished, Beth was still absorbed. She rested her chin on her arms and closed her eyes. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?" She whispered under her breath, almost as if she was talking to herself. The sun glistened on her milky white cheeks. Daryl noticed the small scratches and bruises that lay on her face, dirtying that porcelain look that she carried so well. He watched the way her golden locks waved in the small breeze that brushed them. The way her lips moved when she spoke. The way he got lost in her eyes of crystal blue sea. He also realized that he was caught staring when she was trying to get his attention.

"Daryl, what is it?" A puzzled look rested on her eyebrows.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." He nervously pushed out of his mouth and immediately turned to do something else-whatever that 'something' was.

Beth just shook it off and continued to talk as she helped Daryl pack some stuff up. They rampaged through the tornado of a room and took whatever they could find.

"I haven't heard birds in ages." Beth rambled picking up a few items and throwing them in her pack during the process. "It was so different." She smiled to herself.

"Here." Daryl threw her a shirt he had kicked that looked to be her size. Daryl was the person who always had that kind of 'I don't give a shit' type look. He often pretended to not care or listen, when in all reality, he never stopped listening. He found every word that came out of Beth's mouth useful. Whether it was useful physically or mentally. She always said the right things even when she wasn't trying to. But Daryl never wanted to admit that he listened. He didn't want Beth to think that he changed. He didn't like who he was before it all happened, and he disliked himself just as much after. But when he was with Beth, he changed. He cared. But he just chose to ignore those feelings-whatever they were.

Beth begun humming the birds song which became very annoying very quickly but as Daryl had planned, he chose to "ignore" it. "Daryl?" The blonde stopped mid-way through searching through the rubble of the house.

"What?" He harshly responded.

"What are we going to' do?"

"What ya mean?"

"I mean, last night, I- well I found this." Beth started to shift around stuff in her backpack. She lifted the shattered picture frame from her pack and handed it to Daryl. He studied it and the people in it. The way they looked, where they were, what they wore. "I want to find Maggie." Beth interrupted his train of thought. "And Glenn, and Rick, Carl, Judy." She went on.

Daryl understood why this simple family portrait affected her this way. If it were Daryl's choice, he would care less. He never had anything close to a family like this. He would've assumed the rest of the group had died and went with that. But Beth was determined. She wouldn't give up, so the brunette just went with it. He opened his mouth to talk-

"I know, I know. You think they're dead. But what if they're not?" Beth looked at Daryl with pleading eyes, taking the picture from his hands and placing it carefully back into her backpack. "They're all we have. And I get if they didn't make it then, oh well. But if they did it's worth a try. We got nothing else to do anyway, might as well try to do something productive and possibly worth it. Come on Dixon, just think about it? It wouldn't be that hard I mean-"

"Okay."

"Please Daryl, just trust me on...wait. What?"

"I said okay."


	3. The Fire In Her Eyes

Beth held her head high. So high. She felt as though she could push just a little further and her golden hair would reach the sun. Gold and gold should mix. She would dissolve into the ball of pure warmth. It would start with her hair. The fire slowly making its way through the ponytail. Then the collar of her polo shirt. It would go up in a beautiful orange blaze. And then her fingers, legs, arms, head. Her heart would be last. The fire would slowly form around the beating organ. Then it would embrace it with all of its heat. The heart would beat faster and faster until she was only a ball of light. A big ball of warm, happy light.

Beth watched as Daryl examined every aspect of the ground. He searched for any clues that would help the two in their search for the others. The girl opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss of words. She waited a few seconds then tried again. The wind had seemed to have stolen her ability to produce noise. So Beth resorted to the only thing she knew she could do well. Smile. She smiled for herself for having the confidence to push until she got what she wanted. Even though it didn't take much pushing. She smiled for Daryl whom actually took her thoughts into consideration. She smiled for Judith because she was reminded that the baby would be showing a full set of teeth by now. Easier to smile with a set of pearly whites. Beth smiled for Maggie and Glenn, knowing the two had found each other somewhere along the way. She smiled for the rest of the group. The people she missed dearly. Her family.

She knew she'd see them again...well she hoped. She was good at that. Hoping. Even when she hurt the most she always had that glimpse of hope behind her crystal blue eyes.

"I bet Judy is just pretty as a peach by now." Beth said aloud while daydreaming about the day she was going to see them all again.

"Mhm." Daryl mumbled. He honestly didn't want to encourage her because he knew that when they gave up looking for everyone that she would be heart broken. But this...this was the happiest he had seen her in weeks. Her cheeks were lit up like a Christmas light and she always had this soft smile lingering on her lips.

"Sooooo um...where we goin'?"

"You were supposed to get on that bus right?"

"Yeah."

"Glenn and Maggie were supposed to too. They could be there. Or maybe not. But we can try." Daryl kept his eyes on the road.

"Yeah but..." Beth hesitated to finish her sentence.

"What?"

"Where did the bus even go? Like which way?"

"Don't know." Daryl just shrugged off the blonde's question. This really upset Beth. She could see that he was trying but not really. He put the tiniest bit of effort into this plan for finding every one.

"Then how the hell are we supposed to find them Daryl?" Beth stopped walking in the middle of the dirt road. It took Daryl a few seconds to notice her sudden course of action but soon enough he was spun around right in front of her.

"Don't yell at me girl!" He took a few intimidating steps closer to her, shoving his dirty finger in her face. "Can't you see I'm trying to help you here?" He took another step. "This wasn't my idea it was yours! Your stupid idea that I decided to go along with! Do you think that I want to be looking for your dead sister? Or a baby who is long gone by now? Huh? You really think that that's what I want to be doing? No! I'm doing this for you! Because I hear you, Beth! I hear you at night when you cry yourself to sleep. I see you too, when you think I'm not looking. I see that fake smile drop. I see the tears well up in your eyes! I do! So I'm doing this for you so that stops. I ain't doin' it for me. And I sure as hell ain't doin' it for them!"

"But they're your family too!" Beth stomped her foot toward him, raising her chin so she didn't feel so small compared to the big muscular man in front of her.

"No girl! No, they ain't. I don't got no family. But you do. So stop your complain in' we'll figure something out!"

"Daryl." Beth rested her hand on Daryl's shoulder. This was the first time they had yelled at each other since the moon shack. She could feel her knees get heavy as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm your family."

"No." Daryl's voice broke. So did Beth's heart. Into a million pieces. Daryl held back the tears that had been hiding for a while. They weren't ready to come out yet. He slowly lifted Beth's hand off of his shoulder and turned around. He could hear her sniffling when he started to walk again. "Let's go."

The two didn't say a word to each other for what seemed like eternity. Just like the old times. Daryl thought he knew where he was going. He was almost positive. He always went on the majority of the runs when they were still at the prison. No matter where he went he always found his way back. He was sure he was going in the right direction. They had traveled far from the prison, he knew that, only because they spent their nights running and their days hunting. But he did remember a few "land-marks".

The moon shack wasn't as far from the prison as it felt. He knew when they were getting close because he still got a hint of burnt wood and moonshine as he breathed in. Of course it wasn't the best place to rest and camp out considering the current state of the building, but it would have to do.

"Here." He pointed to whatever was left of the shack. It was pretty much burnt to the crisp but Daryl was sure he could scavenge some pretty useful pieces of wood and maybe build a small fort. The fire had most likely attracted multiple walkers but he had hoped they all had cleared out by now. Better safe than sorry. Daryl looked around the area he had chosen to set up the camp and it was clear. Although, there was no telling that anything would stumble upon them in the middle of the night.

"The moon shack?" Beth's delayed her comment until they were setting up their camp. "I thought we left this place to burn to the ground as a sign of our rebellion." She left a lot of her sorrow and pain here and now Daryl expected them to just waltz back and pick up all those feelings.

"I can find the prison from here."

"Here?" Beth was surprised that he had known where to go when he was on runs better yet running far away from it.

"Yes...here, Beth."

"Ok." Beth threw the stuff she had gathered into a pile for Daryl to sort out as she placed her back against a tree. She pulled her hair out of her tight ponytail and let her scalp relax. She felt a release of tension from when the walker had grabbed hold of her back when they were running.

Daryl was in the middle of putting together a miniature wall around the tree. He caught a glimpse of the sea of golden hair in his peripheral vision. He tried not to let it distract him when Beth ran her fingers through the tangled mess and fluffed it around her shoulders. She leaned her head back on the tree and let out a sigh of relief. Daryl started to stack wooden planks on top of each other all the while staring at the girl. Beth squeezed her eyes closed and let her body completely let go of any unwanted stress. Her arms lay still around her knees which were pulled up to her chest. A cool breeze blew through her hair tickling the back of her neck. The blonde bit her lip when the wind sent chills down her spine. Daryl couldn't help but stare. He just couldn't. And then...

The wall of stacked wooden planks toppled over from too much weight. Daryl hadn't realized it but he was leaning on his fort while losing himself in thought. The clatter startled both Beth and Daryl, completely knocking them out of their state of peace.

Beth's eyes shot up to meet Daryl's after jumping in shock. "Everything alright?" She asked, standing herself up. "Do you need help?"

"No." Daryl said coldly, picking up the wood planks. He started to stack them again but when he got to the fifth one, they fell again. This frustrated Daryl tremendously and he found himself giving up and violently kicking the wood. He let out loud heaves and didn't stop himself.

"Hey, hey." Beth walked up to him and placed her fragile hand on his bicep. Daryl kept kicking out of anger. It was more than just the fort not working out. It was everything. Him getting upset with Beth, him missing everyone, even the fact that he had caught himself staring at Beth. What was he doing? She's a kid! "Daryl." Beth's soft voice pulled him out of his trance once again. He slowly turned to face her, cheeks red and sweat pouring down his forehead.

"You're okay." She reassured him. The blonde gave him a half smile and stared deep into his eyes. They both had matching sparkly eyes, Daryl having a darker shade of blue and Beth a sky. In fact, when the two would get into small arguments, Beth noticed that she didn't really pay attention sometimes. She would get pulled in so far by a sea of beautiful blue. That was a problem to her. But she brushed it off because she would notice Daryl doing the same thing. She thought that maybe it was just a normal thing.

But what she didn't understand was that it was a feeling that subsided to one category: passion. Passion for something other than just hunting companions. Beth just suspected that because the heart throbs, deep stares, and signs of compassion were mutual, it was normal. She was always such a sheltered girl. Christian, living on a spacious farm all to herself. Jimmy was her first boyfriend, she didn't know how those things worked. When it all went down she had no other experience with boys and crushes then Jimmy.

But this was something more. Beth always dug a little deeper when she stared into those eyes. She always found something new. A new sparkle or color. Or even a story. The girl felt safe when she settled her crystal blues onto his deep seas. And so did Daryl. That's where he found his light. When Beth would stare him down he'd look past the blue color and behind the pupil. He would find the source of her madness. A small golden fire that lit up the whole world with hope and determination. With faith and strength. With passion and love. That's what Beth was made out of.

And together the two found different things to keep them pushing. Daryl found peace and love. Beth found protection and rigor. They made a great team even through all the disagreements and pain.

"Wha-what?" Daryl finally asked after a long moment of silence. That snapped Beth right out of her current state.

"Huh? Oh. I said that...what was I saying?" She took a step away to gather her thoughts.

"Doesn't matter." Daryl said seating himself near the tree where Beth was sitting. He didn't bother setting up a fire because he was already burning up from blushing.

"Well maybe it did matter." Beth protested.

"You are very stubborn."

"Daddy always said I was a leading woman." She folded her arms and held her chest high as if she were of higher authority, earning a slight chuckle out of Daryl.

"Shut your eyes." He threw a small, burnt wood chip at Beth's legs.

"Excuse me?" Their gaze met again. It stayed there while Beth secretly picked up a handful of wooden chips and chucked them at Daryl. "Two can play at this game." She smiled mischievously.

"Oh it's on." Daryl threw another handful at Beth. Beth quickly rose to her feet to dodge the chips but failed as they all pounded into her stomach. They began to throw the chips at each other profusely. Beth's aim was terrible and ended up missing Daryl by a wide range the majority of the time. Daryl, on the other hand, always hit Beth right where he wanted. By now, the two were practically dying of laughter. When the chuckles (and slight wheezes) died down Beth slowly bent her knees and grabbed a bigger chip.

"That was interesting." She said, sliding her back down against the tree.

"It was." Daryl said, sitting directly next to her, so close their thighs were touching. They both were still gaining their breath when the little blonde decided the plow the bigger wood chip right into Daryl's face. He jumped out of shock and turned to face Beth, who was bursting out in sweet giggles.

Daryl's first instinct would've been to yell because that had hurt like hell but something told him not to. In fact something told him he needed to grab Beth's waist and tackle her to the ground, stealing away her laughs. Something told him to pin her arms above her head with one hand and tickle her with the other. Something told him to enjoy her struggle as she squirmed and kicked gasping for air. Something told him to stop. And when he did, they both found themselves in that exact position that seemed normal. Eyes locked on each other. Unable to draw themselves back to reality.


	4. Woman

"Daryl," Beth finally said, "you're squishing me." She managed to huff that last part out as she squirmed beneath the heavy man. It took Daryl a second to realize what she was saying and he quickly jumped off of her and to his feet, brushing off the dirt on his jeans as he did so.

"Sorry." His voice was low and musky, Beth found it endearing. Daryl assumed his position against the tree and closed his eyes. "I'm tired, Greene, we should get some rest."

"Alright." Beth agreed without any argument and this surprised the grown man. Knowing Beth she probably would've put up some kind of fight, throwing out excuses like "but the sun hasn't even gone down" or "we still haven't set up." But instead she easily found herself next to Daryl, shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh. She didn't know what she was doing until she had already done it. Her head lay on Daryl's shoulder, hard but better then the scratchy bark that her hair would get caught in every three seconds.

"What are you doing?" Daryl flinched after a few seconds of the blondes head on his shoulder.

"Restin', like you said."

"No, I mean with your head, Beth." Daryl shifted until Beth moved her head to look up at Daryl.

"It's no big deal, I'm just relaxin'."

"I'm not your teddy bear."

"I know that, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"You're my family, besides, it's not like I'm kissing you or anything." Beth chuckled those last words out, expecting an eye roll or scoff from Daryl but all she got was silence. She didn't like it at all. He just stared with a straight face, not saying a single word. Beth noticed Daryl's shoulders tense up and his brows furrow. There was a certain look of fear in his eyes and it was so strong even Beth got scared.

Daryl's heart was beating a mile a minute. He didn't know why. Was it because of earlier? Or because Beth just looked so good with the setting sun lighting her face up? Or maybe it was the fact that she mentioned kissing him. Oh that was so wrong, so dirty. To kiss such a young girl, especially when it's Hershall's daughter. And don't forget the fact that they're in the middle of a god damn apocalypse. But the worst part of it all for Daryl was the more he focused on Beth and the more he thought about what she said, the more he actually wanted to kiss her. He actually wanted to. Daryl Dixon. A man known for being incapable of showing affection or intimacy, wants to kiss Beth Greene.

"You're starin'." Daryl was immediately pulled from his inescapable haze.

"Sorry. Jus' tired. Night." Daryl scooted as far as possible from Beth but still lay against the tree. He didn't know what came over him but he knew it would never happen again. That was gross. Never in a million years. He thought to himself. I don't give two shits if she's the last woman on Earth, Daryl, stop thinking 'bout it.

Beth was a little curious and slightly perturbed that all of the sudden he just got all jittery like that and scooted his big self away. But she didn't mind it all too much because no matter how hard he tried to get away she knew that he wouldn't really leave her side. She found comfort in that. Slowly the two drifted off only to endure yet another day of surviving and barely making it by.

"Rise n' shine, princess." Beth jokingly kicked Daryl's calf. He grunted then slowly rose to his feet.

"I wish you'd stop pushing me, girl." He groaned.

"And I wish you'd stop calling me girl." Beth half smiled, then her lips dropped to her chin. "I ain't no kid no more." She didn't realize how distant she sounded but it kind of stung to think that half of her childhood was spent living in fear of being eaten alive and watching the people she loved die right in front of her. "I'm a woman now." She whispered under her breath as she looked down at her worn boots.


End file.
